Farmers ’Suicides in Punjab-Problems and Possible Solutions

Abstract

The problem of indebtedness damages the social status of farmers and triggers them to commit suicide. According to a study in India, on an average one farmer commits suicide every 30 minutes since 2002. An NGO, MASR estimated 50, 000 suicides across Punjab from 1988 to the present. There are a large number of factors responsible for this but 18 per cent have reported indebtedness as a major cause of committing suicide. Since, last decade landless labourers are more prone to suicides. It is up to the tune of 45.2 per cent of total suicides. It is because they have little access to institutional credit. Multiple approaches need to be followed to overcome the problem of farmers ’suicides because it has great impact on our society.